Keeping an Open Mind in Discussion of Science Versus Religion

How can we determine whether something is real? Everyone has their own perspective on reality and everyone interprets “real” differently. Today I will be discussing on whether we should trust science, religion or the chance that the two may intertwine. Topics like these are usually used to discount one another but many fail to consider if they could be used to support each other. I’m not saying what I’m about to present is proof on whether God is real but rather a thought discussion on the possibilities, analogies and connections that may exist on there being a potential, greater being out there. As a 15 year old I have come across many unanswered questions. How can you believe in god, what does God have to do with science, how can you prove God is actually real? Questions like these make me ponder about whether I should put my faith into a supernatural being or trust the scientific evidence that seems to contradict the beliefs of many religions.

If I were to ask everyone in this room on whether they put their faith into science or religion, im almost certain that everyone’s answer will differ in some way. This is a survey which was conducted from may to june in 2009 asking the members of the Advancement of Science and the general public on their religious beliefs. The collected data shows that scientists are roughly half as likely as the general public to believe in a higher power. Scientists also discovered that levels of religious faith vary according to scientific specialty and age. It seems that the more time one spends on a subject which carefully collects and interprets evidence are more likely to lose belief in a universal spirit. It seems like belief in god contradicts reason and contradicts scientific principles. Science possess something religion doesn't; reliability. Even among the most ardent participants, it is intensely unreliable. So much so that a reasonable person could question whether it is valid at all.

However, the evidence science has provided has yet to be classified as definite proof to the origins of the universe and life. So how much trust can we really put in science? There is a clear gap that science has not managed to fill. Don't you agree that science places you in a position to put your faith towards theories the same way believers put their faith into religion? Furthermore, recent studies in neuroscience attempts to explain the relationship between the brain and religion. Neuroscience reveals that our brains are phenomenal however they are not perfect as they aren't able to live up to the rationalist ideal. Like any other part of the human body, it has limitations. The studies show when our brain tries to operate our own and other people's emotional and mental state, including our desires and our beliefs, two parts of the brain start to work, the analytical and the creative association side.

Within the analytical and creative workings of our brain, the prefrontal cortex, cingulate gyrus, nucleus accumbens and the parietal lobe are all affected when our brains operate when prompted about religion. The development of the prefrontal cortex allows us to have abstract, religious thoughts. This reveals that the healthy brain is naturally constructed in a way so that the two are constantly conflicting with each other. There were many scientists who believed that the two subjects can coexist such as Galileo, Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton and so on. These individuals believed that science and religion are not supposed to be subjects that contradict one another as they answer different questions.

The purpose of science is to answer the “how” of things, on the other hand religion tries to answer the “who” and “why”. For example, we can scientifically explain why an electric kettle works. So the electric energy transfers heat into the water causing the water molecules to boil. We can also answer the who and why without contradicting science. The electric kettle was hypothetically turned on by a person who needed boiled water because they simply wanted a cup of coffee.

After personal research, ive come to the conclusion of science being more reliable however I am open to the concepts of all religions. I believe religion and spirituality are ways to help balance the brain to make ethical decisions. However, a part of me believes that there is a potential, greater being out there. Sure, you can argue that there is no physical evidence but there is still 95% of the universe that is still unknown. All those billions of stars, all the atoms in this room, inside of me and inside of you, that’s just 5% of knowledge we know within the entire universe. Shouldn't we take the chance to believe that proof of god is within the 95% of the unknown?

Many of us in this room have probably questioned on whether we believe in a god. Some may have a definite answers while others don’t. Religion and science both have some element of truths and mythologies. What is needed is a rationalised view that filters out mythology that has infiltrated the two. I'm not telling you to put your faith into science or religion but what I am trying to suggest is to keep an open mind to both ends.